Lithium-air battery

Abstract

A battery may include an anode, a cathode positioned opposite to the anode, a separator positioned between the anode and the cathode, an electrolyte dispersed throughout the cathode and in contact with the anode, and a dual-pore system. The anode may be configured to release a plurality of lithium ions. The cathode may include a plurality of pathways defined by a plurality of porous non-hollow carbonaceous spherical particles and may include a plurality of carbonaceous structures each based on a coalescence of a group of the porous non-hollow carbonaceous spherical particles. The dual-pore system may be disposed in the cathode and defined in shape and orientation by the plurality of carbonaceous structures. In some aspects, the dual-pore system may be configured to receive gaseous oxygen from the ambient atmosphere.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A metal-air battery including:
 a carbonaceous cathode including one or more cathode surfaces exposed to ambient air, wherein the one or more cathode surfaces includes a catalyst;   an anode disposed opposite to the cathode;   a first electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode; and   one or more anode protective layers including:
 an inorganic passivation layer formed as a film on the anode; and 
 an outer layer disposed on the passivation layer, the outer layer including one or more of an ion conducting salt or a second electrolyte in solid form encapsulated in a polymer. 
   
     
     
         2 . The metal-air battery of  claim 1 , wherein the anode includes one or more of alkali metals or alkaline-earth metals. 
     
     
         3 . The metal-air battery of  claim 1 , wherein the anode includes one or more of zinc, sodium, magnesium, iron, calcium, or aluminum. 
     
     
         4 . The metal-air battery of  claim 1 , wherein the anode includes one or more of lithium metal anode or a lithium-alloy anode. 
     
     
         5 . The metal-air battery of  claim 4 , wherein the inorganic passivation layer includes one or more of lithium fluoride (LiF), lithium nitride (Li 3 N), or lithium oxide (Li 2 O). 
     
     
         6 . The metal-air battery of  claim 4 , wherein the second electrolyte in solid form includes one or more of lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide, lithium aluminum titanium phosphate, lithium gallium phosphorous sulfide, or lithium phosphorous oxynitride. 
     
     
         7 . The metal-air battery of  claim 4 , further including a separator disposed between the anode and the cathode. 
     
     
         8 . The metal-air battery of  claim 7 , wherein the separator includes a ceramic containing material that is non-reactive with metallic lithium. 
     
     
         9 . The metal-air battery of  claim 7 , wherein the separator includes polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The metal-air battery of  claim 4 , wherein the first electrolyte includes one or more of ethers, glymes, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The metal-air battery of  claim 4 , wherein the first electrolyte includes lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) in tri(ethylene glycol) dimethyl ether (triglyme). 
     
     
         12 . The metal-air battery of  claim 4 , wherein the first electrolyte includes lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) in di(ethylene glycol) dibutyl ether (butyl diglyme). 
     
     
         13 . The metal-air battery of  claim 1 , wherein the catalyst includes one or more of manganese, nickel, cobalt, ruthenium, platinum, silver, gold, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The metal-air battery of  claim 1 , wherein the catalyst includes compounds of one or more of manganese, nickel, cobalt, ruthenium, platinum, silver, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The metal-air battery of  claim 1 , wherein the catalyst includes one or more of a noble-metals, transition metals, transition metal oxides, or perovskites. 
     
     
         16 . The metal-air battery of  claim 1 , wherein the carbonaceous cathode includes a three-dimensional (3D) graphenated structure formed from a stack of graphene nanosheets. 
     
     
         17 . The metal-air battery of  claim 16 , wherein each graphene nanosheet within the stack of graphene nanosheets has a principal dimension of less than 1 μm. 
     
     
         18 . The metal-air battery of  claim 16 , wherein at least one graphene nanosheet within the stack of graphene nanosheets includes a plurality of mesopores. 
     
     
         19 . The metal-air battery of  claim 1 , wherein the cathode has a surface area in an approximate range between 5 m 2 /g and 3,000 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         20 . The metal-air battery of  claim 1 , wherein the cathode includes graphene doped with one or more of nitrogen or sulfur. 
     
     
         21 . The metal-air battery of  claim 1 , wherein the first electrolyte includes one or more of an aprotic liquid electrolyte, a solid polymer electrolyte, or gel polymer electrolyte. 
     
     
         22 . The metal-air battery of  claim 1 , wherein the first electrolyte includes a non-aqueous organic solvent. 
     
     
         23 . The metal-air battery of  claim 1 , wherein the first electrolyte includes an organic solvent including an ether-based solvent.